Entertainment

Disney Interactive Debuts Stop Motion Love Story

When Walt Disney passed away almost 50 years ago, his studio was best known for animated and live action hits such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Bambi and Treasure Island.

Since then, the brand has ballooned into an empire spanning TV, radio, film, theme parks and toys. This week, a group of filmmaking mouseketeers in the Disney Interactive division unveiled a preview of the new original digital series Blank: A Vinylmation Love Story, which is based on the popular Vinylmation franchise of collectible figures.

The stop motion series follows a lovesick mouse, Blank, in search of his kidnapped paramour Bow. He's on a mission to get her back over the span of 12 episodes, each averaging about three minutes.

Blank is an anomaly. He was born without any facial features, but throughout the series, he discovers the familiar overarching Disney theme that it's okay to be different. Like most Disney fare, it's kid-friendly but engaging enough to hold an adult's attention, too.

Watch a preview below:

"We based this world on Disneyland," lead producer Greg Shewchuk told Mashable. "It's a story about Blank finding his identity."

Shewchuck said the stop motion technique to make it appear as though physically-manipulated objects moved on their own was painstaking. In total, the shoot went through 20 to 30 different Blanks and Bows; each shot required gluing the toys to the set. Many of the tools used for the show were makeshift; repurposed PVC pipe and hollowed-out Starbucks cups became stage lights. Binder clips held up characters for their close-ups.

The first three episodes of the series will debut at the D23 Expo on Aug. 11. Subsequent episodes will be released every Saturday throughout mid-October on Disney.com and Disney’s YouTube network.

What do you think of the preview above? Let us know in the comments below.

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is a leading source for news, information and resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's record 42 million unique visitors worldwide and 21 million social media followers are one of the most influential and engaged online communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.